Improvement in cutting apparatus for harvesters



H. MEWES.

Improvement in Cutting Apparatus for Harvesters.

No. 129,357. PatentedJu|y16,I872.

FEig.4.

Witnesses.

.FFICE.

HENRY MEWES, OF BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CUTTING APPARATUS FOR HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 129,357, dated July 16, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY Mnwns, of Bin ghamton, in the county of Broome and in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harvesters; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which drawing I Figure 1 is a plan view of my device; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same. Figs. 3, 4:, and 5 are vertical cross-sections on the lines mm, 3/ y, z 2, respectively, of Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a vertical central section of. the shoe on the line 1 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 7, a plan view and side elevations of the double slotted finger, which is a modification of that shown in Fig. 4.

Like letters of like kind represent like parts in each figure.

The nature of my device relates to improvements in the construction of the cutting mechanism of harvesters adapted to cutter-bars divided transversely, whose parts are arranged upon different horizontal' planes, and are driven by pitmen connected with cranks set opposite, and applies particularlyto the construction and arrangement of the fingers.

In the drawing, A represents the inner portion, and B the outer portion, of the cutter-bar, dividcdtransversely, and provided with cutters of ordinary construction. 0 represents the finger-bar, which rests upon and is secured to the fingers D, D and D and to the shoe E. The outer portion of the cutter-bar B is connected, by means of a rod, F, to the pitman G, and the inner portion of the cutter-bar A is connected to the pitman H. Both of these pitmen are journaled upon the shaft J to cranks set opposite. Upon thefront edge of the finger-bar is a bearing, K, extending from its outer end nearly half the distance toward the shoe E, upon which bearing the rear edge of the cutterbar B traverses back and forth,when cutting, and the front of which serves as a guide for the guide-bar L, which'is secured to the under side of said cutter-bar B. A similar guide-bar, M, is secured to the under side of the cutter-bar A, which traverses upon said finger-bar .0, the

front edge of which serves as a guide to said guide-bar M. Two supporting-guides, N and O, are secured to the top of the finger-bar, the

guide'N holding and guiding the c'utter-barA and the connecting-rod F, and the guide 0 holding and guiding the cutter-bar B. Astandard, P, secured upon said rod F, and traversing in a slot in the top of the shoe, has pivoted to it the pitman G, and a similar standard, Q, traversing in another slot in the top of the shoe, has pivoted to it the pitman H. Suitable openings in the shoe permit the cutter-bar A and the connecting-rod F to traverse back and forth within it. This shoe is also provided with suitable ears for attaching it to the machine and for allowing the finger-bar to be turned back when not in use. The finger D, constructed in the form shown in Fig. 5, has a finger proper, a, provided with the usual slot for the cutter. The fingers D differ only from the fingers D in having greater depth, so that while their bottoms are upon the same horizontal plane with those of fingers D, their tops and cutterslots are raised enough higher to accommodate the plane of the cutters on the cutter-bar B. The finger D which is of the same vertical depth of the fingers D differs from those fingers in having a second slot, 0, below the other and upon the same plane with the cutting-slots in the fingers D, so as to accommodate the outer cutter of the cutter-bar A. The tongue between the two slots named, is extended to the rear a little further than the top of the finger, so as to serve as a guide for the front side of the connecting-rod F, and has also an arm, g, turned at right angles toward the outer end of the finger-bar. The bottoms of all the fingers combined together, with a blank, h, next to the shoe, is equal in length to the length of the finger-bar outside of the shoe. These fingers are arranged side by side, the fingers 'D innermost, followed by the finger D nearly in the center, and then by the fingers D so that the bottoms of all of their fingers rest upon or come nearest to the ground. Upon the rear bottoms c of these fingers so arranged the finger-bar O is secured; the front of which and the cut-away portions of the fingers D form guides which regulate the path of the guidebar M to the cutter-bar A. The bearing and the cut-away portion of the fingers D in like manner form guides which regulate the path of the guide-bar L to the cutter B. The guide 0 assists in guiding the cutter-bar both vertically and laterally, and the guide N does the like for the cutter-bar A, and the connectin grod F, which is secured at its outer end to the under side of the inner end of the cutter-bar,

man at its inner end, that it does not touch or wear upon the top of the cutter-bar A.

In operation, the cutters on the cutter-bar B pass back and forth through the cutting-slots in the fingers D and the cutters on the cutterbar A do the like with the fingers D but the outer cutter of the bar A and the inner cutter of the bar B in traversing back and forth play in and out of the two slots in the finger D the inner portion of the cutter-bar using the lower slot and the outer portion the upper slot in said finger. In the operation of cutting, also, both the outer and inner cutters named play into said finger at the same time, so that at the moment ofcessation of the motion of the two parts of the cutter-bar toward each other said outer and inner cutters will be in position one directly above the other.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The finger D constructed with a double slot and with a tongue, f, substantially as described and shown, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the finger D constructed, as described, with the cutter-bar A B, substantially as set forth, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of June, 1870.

HENRY MEWES.

Witnesses:

F. A. DURKEE, G. WV. PENRIE. 

